- Researchers have discovered ways to optimize a website for artificial intelligence (AI) search, significantly increasing its visibility.
- The Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) technique developed by the team can increase visibility of smaller lower-ranked websites by 115%, thereby enabling them to perform better than larger corporate websites in search results.
- Three optimization strategies particularly worked across all kinds of sites: including relevant statistics in the website content, incorporating credible quotes, and including citations from reliable sources.
A team of researchers from Princeton University, Georgia Tech, The Allen Institute for AI, and IIT Delhi, tested several AI search optimization strategies with groundbreaking results. Using a technique they named ‘Generative Engine Optimization’ (GEO), they were able to increase visibility of smaller, lower-ranked websites by 115%, allowing them to perform better than larger corporate sites in the search results.
Nine optimization techniques were tested across various knowledge domains, such as legal, history, science, and more. They found that some techniques performed exceptionally well for certain domains while others didn’t show satisfactory results. The techniques included keyword optimization, authoritative content writing style, adding relevant statistics, citing reliable sources, adding quotations, simplifying the content, enhancing content fluency, and using unique and technical terms.
Surprisingly, neither the persuasive writing style nor the use of more keywords resulted in improved search rankings. Against expectations, the latter even performed 10% worse than the baseline.
The three methodologies that proved to be the most effective involved the inclusion of pertinent statistics, the incorporation of credible quotes, and the inclusion of citations from reputable sources in the website content. These strategies enhanced the credibility and richness of the content while requiring minimal alterations.
Furthermore, what proved particularly fascinating was that different optimization strategies worked best with different types of content or ‘knowledge domains’. For example, the “Authoritative” optimization, which used persuasive language, performed best with content related to historical topics.
The impact of this research is far-reaching. Particularly for small content creators and independent businesses, who typically fight to compete with larger corporations in search engine rankings. The GEO technique offers these smaller entities a significant opportunity to improve their visibility and reach a wider audience.
The findings clearly indicate that SEO is not becoming obsolete with the advancement of AI in search engines. Instead, it is evolving to account for AI and Machine Learning systems, an evolution that may redefine it as GEO.